Sacrifices
by featherstofly
Summary: She was a criminal. He was an ex-murderer. She was wanted. His record had been cleared. She fought against others for her life. He battled an invisible opponent for his health. Yet, through everything, they had one aspect in common: they would give anything—anything in order to save their siblings. (Slight AU setting.)


**Author's Note: **This is yet another idea that I suddenly came up with during English class and I _had_ to write it all down. It's mainly an ItachixOC story, but I might not continue it after this chapter. It all depends on the feedback I get.

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

She ran blindly in the darkness, barely avoiding the large forms of trees that threatened to block her path. Her right foot slipped and the terrifying sensation of plummeting made her stomach lurch. She clutched the form in her arms tighter and coated the soles of her feet in a thin layer of chakra, forcing herself to stick to a branch before jumping off and resuming her journey again.

Small branches and twigs tugged at her body, her hair. The fabric of her shirt caught on a larger hold and she continued, noting the loud ripping sound as a small corner of her clothes was torn away. Her feet stumbled yet again.

She was tired. She was dirty. She was half-dead but nothing else mattered except getting to her destination. She couldn't afford to screw up—not while time was running out.

"Hang in there," she whispered, voice ragged and laced with fatigue. "Just hang in there, Sora, and I swear, Kami, I _swear_—"

Her voice cut off abruptly when it became difficult for her to swallow. The figure in her arms lay still, weighing her down and reminding her of her task at hand.

With another frantic gulp of air she continued forward.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

It was dark.

Fitting, really, since it was past midnight, but there was no moon out tonight. Only the stars were visible in the sky with a few wisps of clouds floating around.

Hagane Kotetsu crouched near the entrance of Konohagakure, knees bent in a squatting position and his hands out in front of him to steady himself. Off to his side Izumo had almost dozed off and was struggling to keep himself awake. A sharp flick to his forehead brought the brunet out of his sleepy state and he glared at his partner. Kotetsu only smirked faintly at his expression, then turned his attention back to the darkness outside of Konoha.

Though the Fourth Shinobi War had ended nineteen months ago, every country, no matter how great or small, was feeling the aftereffects of the bloody battle. People were still dying every day. Small funerals were being held. Patients were being treated every day. Security had become tighter.

He let out a thin stream of air through his teeth, closing his eyes momentarily and pinching the bridge of his nose.

_People were still paranoid._

There was a sudden chakra flare in the distance and the Leaf-nin's eyes flew open. The man stood up, slipping a hand into the pouch strapped to his side and fingering the handle of a familiar kunai. From his post, Kotetsu could just make out the faint form of a person racing across the treetops.

"What is it?"

Izumo was instantly at his side, hand also inside his pouch. The chūnin's eyes were now alert at the possible incoming danger.

"I felt a chakra flare."

"Who?"

"I don't know. It's not someone from here."

There was a pause between the two men.

"D'you think it's…?"

"I said, _I don't know._"

Kotetsu visibly tensed as the unfamiliar chakra signature drew closer and his hands immediately flew together, already beginning to form handseals. His friend had jumped a few meters away with several shruiken in his grasp that were ready to be released at moment's notice.

"Izumo," he called in warning. Said man only nodded as the figure burst into the clearing.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

She was almost there. _She was almost there._ Sora would be alright. _She was almost to Konoha._

The mantra that continued to loop in her head did nothing to strengthen her body, only her resolve. Her legs seemed to give out underneath her and she sent the last of her chakra to her feet. Muscles screaming from the weight she was carrying she forced herself to run forward.

Another tug on her tattered clothes reminded her of the appearance she gave. Balancing her passenger dangerously with one arm, her other hand reached up and quickly snatched off her hitai-ate, stashing it into the pouch by her side and returning her right palm to support the figure's back.

_Don't stop. Not now. Not now._

"Kami…"

The pained cry broke from her lips and she tripped on a loose root. Her body twisted so that she landed on her back, sending a fresh wave of pain up her spine. One glance at the bundle in her arms and she scrambled up, cursing herself for faltering. The gates of Konoha were so close, just within reach now…

Heart pounding and hope rising she sprinted into the open.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

A woman barely skidded to a stop at the two chūnin standing guard. She was gasping for air, her face dirty with a smattering of shallow cuts and a few bruises. Dark brown hair was matted and strands hung loose from a tangled, messy knot in the back of her head. Her brown eyes were wild, filled with some sort of mad frenzy and Kotetsu couldn't help but take a step back.

"M-my sister," she managed to choke out. "S-she's dying. Please…"

The limp form in the woman's arms hadn't stirred. He stepped forward, brushing the light brown hair out of the teenager's face and noted the death grip the woman had on the girl, the way her knuckles seemed almost melded into the smaller female's body. As his fingers moved down they swept over something hard and crusted, then touched something else wet and sticky. He immediately drew his hand back and raised a finger to identify the substance.

_Blood._

"Do something! Please! Don't let her d-die…" The woman's voice cracked at the end of the sentence and her pitch rose a bit higher. Her breathing was fluttering and erratic, eyes were filled with the same crazed light. "_Please!"_

Glancing at Izumo, Kotetsu nodded and moved to take the girl out of her hands but she clutched her to her chest, shaking her head in a firm '_no'._

"Follow me, then," he ordered, preparing to add chakra into his legs.

She shook her head yet again. "No," she mumbled. "I…r-ran out."

The next thing she knew, strong arms were underneath her knees and back, supporting her as they traveled from rooftop to rooftop. The man had a grim look on his face and kept his eyes ahead. A grunt touched her lips as he jumped off of a beam less stable than the others. Her eyes closed and she moved her lips in a silent prayer.

_Ebisu-sama **[1]** or whoever's up there… Please, let Sora live. I beg you, Kami, I _beg_ you. Please. Let her live. Let her live._

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

Tsunade stood back from her patient, frowning and sweeping a hand across her forehead to keep her long bangs at bay. She turned to the cabinets lining the walls, taking out small plastic bottles, then shoving them back to their original place. A frown turned down the corners of her mouth and she allowed herself a glance toward the clock.

_2:03 AM._

A light scowl flickered across her features as she turned her attention back to her task. It was not the first time she had been roused from sleep and called into the infirmary to care for a patient, and she knew for a fact that it wouldn't be the last. The scowl deepened at the thought of having to begin and finish more paperwork a few hours from now.

Finding the container she was searching for, the busty woman popped the lid open and slid five of the maroon-colored pills into her hand. The amber container was slipped back onto the shelf and the cabinet door closed with a loud rattle.

Turning to her patient, she leveled him with a stern gaze.

"You said that the humidity makes you cough at times, correct, Uchiha?"

Itachi Uchiha stared back at the Hokage impassively before nodding in response.

The woman let loose a sigh before grabbing an empty plastic cylinder and dropping the pills into the object. The lid screwed shut and she handed the container to the man.

"See if that works," she told him. "If it doesn't, then come back. Take one every morning when you wake up, starting today, and—" she leveled him with another stare "—don't forget this time, alright?"

"Hai." His voice was still a little hoarse, a result of the tearing coughs that had racked his chest the whole night. It had woken up his younger brother, who had then immediately rushed him to the hospital.

The blonde's features softened for a moment before she shook her head and pulled the door open. Itachi placed his feet on the ground and began to walk toward the exit, a bit slowly when he felt a sharp tugging at his ribs.

The moment he was outside, Sasuke was at his side, poking and prodding him with questions and demanding answers. Itachi only gave a weak smile at his brother's sudden change of attitude and shook his head to clear his mind. The pills had long since been tucked away in his pants pocket and they rattled against their cylinder with each step he took.

"Uchiha-san. I suggest you let your brother rest as soon as you return home."

A frigid voice cut through Sasuke's endless questioning and an indignant look immediately settled over the younger Uchiha. He turned to the busty blonde medic standing in the room where his brother had just emerged from, a frosty look entering his eyes. Itachi caught the dangerous glint and placed a hand on his brother's arm to reassure him.

"Understood, Hokage-sama," Sasuke grit out. The two exchanged icy glares before the male began to lead Itachi away from the woman, nearly dragging him toward the exit.

The pair had barely made five paces away when someone else entered the waiting room, flustered with a serious expression set upon his face. Itachi immediately recognized him as Hagane Kotetsu, a chūnin who he had seen around here and then. The man's eyes flickered briefly to the Uchiha brothers before taking long strides forward to the doctor. Tsunade had furrowed her brows, obviously confused at the sudden intrusion.

There was a form in his arms, Itachi realized, and the figure raised her head. It was a woman. There was something akin to fear against her drained skin, making her look somewhat like a living ghost. As Kotetsu continued forward, he saw something in her arms. Another girl, a younger child, by the looks of it.

Tsunade took one look at the condition of the two females in Kotetsu's arms and motioned for him to place them inside the room. The man immediately backed out into the waiting area and the door was shut, though the voices still floated out from the bottom of the barrier, albeit a bit muffled.

"…poisoned. They said the antidote…only in Konoha…"

The voice was high-pitched, presumably the woman's. Tsunade's own soprano rang through a second later.

"…where did…from…?"

"…Takigakure…"

There was a sharp pull at his shoulder and he found Sasuke gazing at him, dark eyes urging him to move on. Itachi complied to his brother's request and continued to trudge forward, occasionally leaning onto the younger male for support. He did, however, spare one glance back at the shut door before another impatient yank from Sasuke sent him walking again.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

The blonde medic had disappeared for the time being and someone else entered the room, holding a pillow and an extra blanket. She blinked a couple of times before identifying it as the man from earlier, the one who had carried her here. He placed the pillow beneath her head and draped the blanket around her body.

"W-where am I?" It hurt her throat to talk and she swallowed, wincing visibly. A warm numbness had begun spreading up from her toes and was now to her hips, still continuing upward. She figured that it had to be something in the honey-like drink the busty woman had given her earlier.

He cocked his head at her. "Konoha. In the infirmary. Don't worry; your sister is in good hands."

The answer satisfied her for a few moments before she clenched her fist. They didn't know anything about her yet, which was a good thing, but even with her identity hidden, she couldn't stop her muscles from tensing. If they ever found out, if they ever discovered—

Letting her thoughts cut off abruptly, her eyes jumped to the blank ceiling.

"What did you say your name was?" His voice nearly sent her flying out of her bed and reaching toward her shruiken pouch. However, she forced herself to stay still.

_I didn't tell you my name yet._

"Katō Rei." The words slipped easily from her mouth as she sank back into the pillows, fighting to stay awake. The mushy feeling was now at the base of her neck and still pulsing toward her face. She couldn't feel anything anymore.

"Rei-san, hm?" He paused, studying her for a few seconds. "You were brave to bring your sister here."

She could barely hear him now. His voice was muffled and her vision was clouded. He had turned into a mass of fuzzy grey and brown. She squinted to see him better but his form was no clearer.

"Sh…she's my s-sister," was all that escaped from her lips before they became immobile. A haze floated over her and she only had a single second to realize something before she slipped under the influence of the painkiller.

She had just made a terrible mistake.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

It was midday when Shizune burst into Tsunade's office. The blonde Hokage's secretary was holding a stack of papers, a bit flustered when Tonton began to nudge her toes with his sensitive nose. The female Sannin lifted her eyes from the scroll she was reading and set her brush down, clearly pleased to have an excuse not to do paperwork for the time being.

"What is it?"

"T-the woman. The one in the hospital who carried the girl here. Kotetsu told me her name and I searched her up in all the records and…" Shizune glanced down at the small black book atop the pile in her hands.

"…Yes?" Tsunade prompted.

Shizune only set down the book on the Hokage's desk, indicating to it with a jerk of her head. Her boss raised an eyebrow, thumbing along the pages until it came to a bright orange marker.

A picture of the woman in the infirmary was pasted onto the page. Her dark brown hair was presumably up in a ponytail, with two side-bangs tucked behind her ears. Her forehead protector bore the symbol of Takigakure and she was staring forward. Her brown eyes were completely emotionless, quite a contrast compared to the hysteria that had filled them the last time Tsunade had seen her.

Her eyes flicked across the kanji on the page.

_Name: Katō Rei_

At the surname, the woman paled the slightest bit, glancing back up at her assistant. Shizune only shook her head and gestured for her to continue reading.

_Birthday: September 27  
Gender: Female  
Age: 23  
Height: 171 cm  
Weight: 53 kg  
Blood Type: B  
Classification: Missing-nin_

The blonde paused, rereading the last line.

_Classification: Missing-nin_

She light brown eyes narrowed as she quickly turned to the side of the book, reading the words on the black binding. The bold letters on the confirmed her suspicion.

_Bingo Book_

There was a moment of silence between the two women before Tsunade spoke.

"You mean to say that she's a criminal?"

Shizune nodded mutely.

"And she willingly entered Konoha?"

The dark-haired female nodded again.

Another pause passed between them. Tsunade let out a low whistle between her teeth.

"She must be incredibly brave to walk into a city that probably wants her dead, or she's incredibly stupid."

A small frown made its way onto Shizune's face and she murmured quietly, "Or she really cares about her sister, Hokage-sama."

"…Or that, too."

Below, Tonton snorted an oink of agreement.

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

**[1]**** : Ebisu is, in Japanese folklore, the god fishermen, luck, and laborers, as well as the guardian of the health of children.  
**_ (Go search it up on Wikipedia; not the best source of all information, I know, but handy at times when I'm rushing.) _

* * *

**I'd really love to know if you liked this or not. It would mean a lot to me if you gave me feedback and if you thought that the story was interesting enough.**

**For clarification, this takes place after the Fourth Shinobi War. Let's say that Itachi somehow survived and Sasuke was dragged back to Konoha (courtesy of Naruto and gang), so I guess this is AU-ish.**

**God, I haven't had this much inspiration in _forever_.**

**Reviews are motivation. Criticism is loved. Favorites and follows will be appreciated as well.**

**xfeatherstofly**


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